Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Werforpsu]

Evening all! I hung out around the coop for a bit of mama and chick / everyone else visitation time. I ended up swatting at a couple hens that got a bit too mean with the chicks. Mama got in a small pecking order match, but she won so that part went well. The last straw before I put them away was when the rooster (who had acted like the chicks were invisible until now) went after a few chicks. I swatted him away and got them back in their little section of the coop.

Our egg saga is somewhat calmer. I have been keeping them in the coop mostly until about 4pm. We have been getting anywhere from 6-9 eggs a day from our 15 layers. I am happy with that for now. I was babysitting a couple little girls today who are farm girls and love chickens and goats (and have more experience with both then I do). The older one wanted to collect eggs. Of course my most cunning hen, jumped out of the nesting box as soon as the lid came up and the "cooped up" day was over at 11am. I found two eggs in their normal hiding spots and one more in the nest after that for a total of 8 eggs today.
Every day we have a wet spot in one of the nesting boxes where 1 or more eggs get crushed and eaten. I honestly think that it is 1 chicken, probably with her own egg because it doesn't matter how often I check, there is a wet spot every day. What made me feel this way even more was that days like yesterday when I couldn't check before 5pm, we still got 6 eggs. If she was eating lots, I wouldn't have that many left after a whole day of laying. I haven't figured out how to determine which chicken it is....

 

[kie4]

Went to the chicken show in Lebanon today, that was great fun checking out all the different breeds. Some of the Orpingtons looked so amazing, we thought ours are pretty but these were amazing.

The Langshans were pretty too, and so many cochins!

I’ve never seen a jersey giant before. Surely the hawks we get around SE PA would be swatted away like flies. Jersey giants are so big!

I was hoping to see Marans, Ayam Cemanis, BLRWs, White Minorcas, Wheaten Marans and Legbars but there weren’t any.

It was nice to see how pretty a New Hampshire Red can be at its best, and we took a moment at the araucanas to remember our deceased rumpless Araucana that we hatched from an egg and raised until she died of an internal egg.

Here’s a few pics of some interesting breeds I came across.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

@AnneInTheBurbs

Actually we have ducks, not chickens. We did assume two layers at first, but after a bit of vent inspection, apparently there's just one.

What about the vent are you seeing that makes you think this?

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Why didn't I think of that?! I was thinking too narrowly. Thanks a million! It's already attached to a "paddock" type area where the goats loafed. It needs to be updated for chicken safety, but the framework (4"x4" welded wire) is there. I will take some pics of the structure and area and share here for more thoughts.

Welcome! Sounds like you’ve got quite a set up already. We have welded wire no climb fencing in our goat paddock. From time to time we put birds in there (against our goat vet’s wishes, she doesn’t like poultry in with goats). I find that the fencing keeps the heavier breeds like Marans and Orpingtons in, but not the lighter breeds that can fly right over the fence, like Red Sex Links and Ameraucana, and it does nothing to keep the fox out.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Went to the chicken show in Lebanon today, that was great fun checking out all the different breeds. Some of the Orpingtons looked so amazing, we thought ours are pretty but these were amazing.

The Langshans were pretty too, and so many cochins!

I’ve never seen a jersey giant before. Surely the hawks we get around SE PA would be swatted away like flies. Jersey giants are so big!

I was hoping to see Marans, Ayam Cemanis, BLRWs, White Minorcas, Wheaten Marans and Legbars but there weren’t any.

It was nice to see how pretty a New Hampshire Red can be at its best, and we took a moment at the araucanas to remember our deceased rumpless Araucana that we hatched from an egg and raised until she died of an internal egg.

Here’s a few pics of some interesting breeds I came across.

View attachment 1160835 View attachment 1160836 View attachment 1160837

I was at the show too!! I spent most of my time at the raffle table helping out. I wish I got to meet you. I had entered some Marans, but then needed to pull them as my hand is not healed enough to bath birds. It was sad not to have birds there, but it sure freed up my time for more socializing and took the pressure off of me not having to coop in and out.

 

[gonehencrazy]

A soft shelled broken egg last night in the coop and one this morning!! I need to figure out the culprit so I can figure out what to do. With soft eggs for several weeks I switched them all back to the layer pellets from the crumbles they were getting because of the littles. They have a feeder of oyster shell. For a couple of weeks all was fine but. Idk what else to do?!?

 

[DT12]

Hello, from the poconos. My name is Dave and I keep BC Marans and also blue, black and splash Ameraucanas. Oh yeah, and a couple of white leg horns escape artist that refuse to stay in there 8ft talk pen. Their wings are clipped and they will flap um frantically and walk up the fence and over, yelling I’m free I’m free

 

[gonehencrazy]

Hello, from the poconos. My name is Dave and I keep BC Marans and also blue, black and splash Ameraucanas. Oh yeah, and a couple of white leg horns escape artist that refuse to stay in there 8ft talk pen. Their wings are clipped and they will flap um frantically and walk up the fence and over, yelling I’m free I’m free

All of my leghorns were escape artists too. They were the first ones the raccoons got too. I had five and now have zero. 4 to raccoon and one to neighbor dog. That one Should have stayed inside the fence.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Hello, from the poconos. My name is Dave and I keep BC Marans and also blue, black and splash Ameraucanas. Oh yeah, and a couple of white leg horns escape artist that refuse to stay in there 8ft talk pen. Their wings are clipped and they will flap um frantically and walk up the fence and over, yelling I’m free I’m free

Welcome from Cambria county!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

We have a new baby! Could be silkie x BCM or pure silkie since either would give blue babies but we'll see as she feathers in. She definitely has the silkie vaulted skull so she should have a nice crest